Fallen
by Reclaimer
Summary: A hunter fights to survive a battle in Warsong Gulch.


**Fallen, Ch. 1**

Dawn in Warsong Gulch brings about a thick, heavy fog. Moritz both loves and hates the fog, for with the cloud visibility is poor. That means the Alliance can't see him, but then again, he can't see them either. 

The horns of war have already sounded, even at this unholy hour. The night still desperately clings to the edges of the morning sky, begging the Sun to allow a few more moments of darkness before releasing her hold on the world to return to her daily banishment. Moritz is running, charging across the battlefield with war cries shouting from his lips and arrows flying from his bow. Guinevere runs alongside him, ever calm, ever calculating, her panther eyes watching Moritz's every move. Moritz gives the mighty cat the command to strike, and strike she does. Guin launches herself into the nearest foe, a gnome warrior. The warrior has engaged one of the field medics, a priest, in close combat. The priest cannot be lost. 

Moritz lets fly an arrow, then he draws another. He takes careful aim, all the while charging the shot with his mana. The shot is released, shrieking with Arcane power, streaming toward the diminutive threat. The gnome takes the hit directly in the chest and she buckles, her helmet falling from her head and onto the ground. Armor cannot stop the Arcane. To Moritz's surprise, the gnome rises to face him, rage burning in her eyes. She raises her massive battle axe and charges her new assailant with a mighty shout of courage. 

Moritz swiftly slings his bow over one shoulder and unslings his spear. He runs forward a few steps toward the charging warrior. With a whirling flourish, he strikes a low horizontal blow. The warrior nimbly blocks his weapon with the flat of her own axe, pushing the spear back. Moritz had expected her to do this; He continues the rotation she'd begun and, utilizing the gnome's own strength, strikes the warrior down with a mighty downward raptor-strike.

The priest, in appreciation, gives Moritz a flash heal, removing a few small cuts and bruises he'd received earlier in the battle. Moritz, his eyes stoic, nods his thanks and continues his advance toward the Silverwing stronghold, unslinging and readying his bow as he goes. The priest follows, a slim Troll woman.

Moritz doesn't go very far before the priest following him collapses and begins to seizure. Moritz watches in confused horror as the Troll begins to turn an odd black color around her fingernails and face. The troll grasps at her chest, crying out in agony. Her eyes quickly roll back into her head, and she dies.

Warlocks! Moritz quickly checks around him, but he sees no one...

A sharp pain in his back causes Moritz to fall onto his knees with a cry. Guinevere tears into Moritz's attacker with feral fury, clawing and biting at the assailant with bestial vigor. Moritz turns to assist his faithful friend. The assailant, a demon, called a Succubus, fights with frightened resolve. Demons don't face death very often. Moritz prepares to open fire on the vile creature when he feels a painful tightness in his chest. He continues to aim, but the pain grows to extraordinary proportions, causing Moritz's vision to blur. He goes down on one knee, the swords on his belt clattering against the gravelly terrain of the Barrens side of the Warsing Gulch. Moritz shakes his head, and lets fly the arrow he'd been holding in his bow. The projectile strikes the Succubus squarely in the forehead, and the demon drops with a sigh.

Moritz hears a cry of frustration from behind him. He tries to stand and turn, but his body is suddenly racked with intense and evil agony. Moritz screams out in pain and falls onto his knees, gasping for breath. He barely sees Guinevere charge blindly into the fog to face her master's new attacker.

"Guin..." Moritz rasps for breath. "Guin... come back, don't..."

Moritz hears his faithful pet cry out in pain, and he sees her charging in blind terror out of the fog.

"G-guin!!"

Moritz struggles to his feet. He leans on his spear for support. His bow lies nearby, forgotten in his agony. Moritz catches a glance of his hands; the fingernails are turning black and his veins are beginning to show an unnatural purple color. He's been cursed, probably by the same warlock who killed his priest companion.

Moritz shakes his head to clear his vision. He peers into the fog of dawn, wheezing for breath, the tightness in his chest growing. Moritz's very mana had been corrupted by the dark curse and was attempting to burst from his body.

Moritz sees a figure approaching. A human; a man by his stride and build. Moritz sees darkness gather to the human's fists. The human unleashes the shadow towards the agonized hunter. Moritz falls onto his knees again, supporting himself with one hand and holding his spear with the other. The shadow bolt whooshes by overhead, swirling the fog as it passes. Moritz grunts in pain and effort, dashing forward in a leaping run toward the warlock, his spear held forward to skewer the dark human on its razor tip.

The human laughs.

Moritz abruptly stops. His eyes widen. Panic overtakes his conscious mind as he stares the warlock in the eyes. A shrill, screaming sound echoes through Moritz skull. Moritz knew he was about to die. He knew. He knew there could be no escape from this evil power...

The episode fades as Moritz's body is racked anew with burning agony. Moritz screams in terror, pain, and despair. He falls onto the ground, curled into the fetal position, screaming out his pain. He knows that he's about to die. He screams out Valiatar's name, he screams out for Azreya, for Airia, for Hanaak, for anyone. His mind races, images flash before his eyes as his body begins to fail. He sees Azreya, laughing at Moritz's foolishness in Silvermoon City. He sees Hanaak, the calm, wise druid who always kept a level head. He sees Airia, golden light lancing from her palms. He sees Valiatar...

Moritz's eyes snap open. A memory flashes across his mind's eye.

'Don't cry, Vali. I promise I'll come back.'  
Valiatar sniffs and wipes away a tear. 'Yes, but in what manner?'  
'Standing tall, with my head held high and a bow in my hands.'

Moritz takes a deep breath. The warlock is standing over him now, laughing at Moritz's struggles to survive. Moritz's eyes flare with green light. He snatches his spear and rises quickly, trying to strike the warlock in the chest with the spear's point. The warlock hops back, out of reach. He says something in Common, Moritz is certain the evil man is taunting him. The warlock begins to laugh anew, his eyes burning with darkness. Moritz hears the shrill scream begin to build in his skull again.

Moritz shouts with almost bestial fury, "NO!!" He charges at the warlock, spear ready, roaring in his agonized rage.

Moritz returns to reality. The warlock's face is inches from Moritz's. Blood trickles from the warlock's mouth and death creeps into the evil human's eyes. Moritz steps back. The spear had pierced completely through the warlocks body and pinned him to one of the tree stumps dotting the battlefield. Moritz sighs in relief, sitting heavily upon the ground. He breathes heavily, but his mana is still corrupted. He feels his chest tighten, relax, tighten and relax. He coughs out a strange, foul smelling, foul tasting, clear-colored fluid. Moritz retches at the taste of the disgusting liquid. He throws up on the ground. All of his vomit is the clear fluid. The curse must be breaking down his mana into this... disgusting goo.

Moritz hears a cry of angry despair from behind him. He turns. A human woman stands, her mouth open, with tears running down her face. A Voidwalker demon drifts at her side.

Another warlock...

Moritz doesn't think he can survive this. He stands, drawing his swords. Guin is nowhere in sight. A tear runs down Moritz face and drips off his chin. "Vali... I love you. I love you..."

The warlock turns her tear-stained gaze toward the already weak hunter. Her gaze hardens and her eyes go black, like marbles set in her eye sockets. She nods coolly in Moritz's direction. The Voidwalker hisses and swiftly advances.  
Moritz can't keep up in this condition; the demon swings one massive fist into Moritz's midsection, winding the hunter. The demon then delivers a closed-fisted backhand to Morit'z head.

Moritz's vision explodes into stars as he spins off balance, but he somehow manages to keep his feet. He grips his swords limply in his hands. Moritz takes a strike at the advancing Voidwalker. The Voidwalker easily catches the blade and tosses it aside. The demon's hand snaps forth, catching Moritz by the throat and lifting him bodily off the ground. The demon rears back to punch the weakly struggling hunter in the face, but the human woman stops the demon.

The female warlock calmly approaches and looks Moritz in the eye. The Voidwalker drops Moritz on the ground in a heap. Moritz feels the shrill scream of terror building in his head. He can't even move, much less run... he screams out in horror as the warlock inflicts her agonizing curses on his failing body. He hears the woman shouting at him in Common. She begins to strike him with her staff.

Moritz prays for death to come quickly. He begs Valiatar for forgiveness. He'd broken his promise.


End file.
